The present invention relates to the use of catalysts in chemical reactions. The main function of a catalyst is to provide a changed local structure that yields a site for a reaction to occur without the catalyst being used up itself. Catalysis gained prominence shortly after WW II as "catalytic reforming" revolutionized the petroleum industry. The literature abounds with references to catalysis applied to numerous processes.
Many chemical reactions (inorganic and organic) are catalytically sensitive. Platinum and palladium are the two most common catalytic materials. These are used for a wide variety of organic oxidation reactions. Nickel is a familiar hydrogenation catalyst. Ammonia synthesis is catalytic. It is to this type of process that the present invention is directed. Any chemical reaction is catalytically sensitive. Some are more so than others. It is well known that the total surface area and/or volume, occlusive capacity, and the local physical properties of the catalyst in such a process partially determine the reaction rates. These factors can be affected drastically by the detailed preparation and maintenance of the catalyst and the environment in which it functions. For example, impurities that find their way into the catalyst during processing may markedly effect its performance. Similarly, catalytic poisons present in the reactants may diminish the behavior of the catalyst. After some time in regular use, contaminants may render the catalyst less efficient than it would otherwise be.